Musical alarm-clock.



Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED STANGE, OF DRESDEN, GERMANY.

MUSICAL ALARM-CLOCK.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,605, dated August16, 1904.

Application filed December 30, 1902. Serial No. 137,167. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ALFRED STANGE, a citizen of the Empire of Germany,residing at Dresden, in the Empire of Germany, have invented a new anduseful Combination Alarm-,Olock, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in alarm-clocks; and the objects ofmy improvement are, first, to provide an automatietuneplaying devicewithin the casing of an alarmclock of any known construction, and,second, to provide a special device between said alarm-clock and saidautomatic tune-playing device by which the latter is released andallowed to play after the alarm-train has gone off. I attain theseobjects by the arrangement illustrated in a mode of execution in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection through the clock-casing and a rear view of the alarm-clock, thedevice, and the automatic tune -playing device, the time-train beingomitted. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the clock-casing onthe line A B in Fig. 1 and a side elevation of the clock-frame, thedevice, and the automatic tune-playing device, only the winding-shaft ofthe alarmtrain, with its spring, gear-wheel, and ratchetwheel, beingshown in the lock-frame. Fig. 3 is a plan of the bottom of theclock-casing and a horizontal section through the line E F in Fig. 1,and Fig. 4: is a vertical cross-section through the same on the line CDin Fig. 3. Similar characters of reference refer to similar partsthroughout the/several views.

Of the alarm-clock, which may be of any known construction, only theclock-frame proper and the alarm-train are shown. The clock-frameconsists of the two plates 1 2 and the four studs 1 4E. The spiralspring 5 for actuating the alarm-train is assumed to be fastened withits external end on one stud 4 of the frame and with its internal end onthe winding-shaft 3. On the latter a gear-wheel 8 is mounted to turn andcarries a spring-pressed pawl 7 which engages in the teeth ofaratchetwheel 6, fastened on the shaft 3. Over the rear end of thewinding-shaft 3 a sleeve 11, Fig. 2, made in one piece with a disk 9,and ahead 12 is placed and fastened by a suitable pin (not shown)passing across the head 12 and the shaft 3'. On the head 12 aturnablekey13 is arranged, by means'of which the windingshaft 3 can be turned towind on the spiral spring 5. The tension of the spiral spring 5 can putthe hammer 19, Fig. 1, into motion by means of the gearewheel 8, thepinion 141,

the gear-wheel 15, the pinion 16, the escapewheel 17, and the anchor 18,when the bell 20 will sound. These parts, excepting the winding-shaft 3,with all parts thereon, are omitted from Fig. 2 for the sake ofclearness and because the construction of the alarmtrain is quiteimmaterial. The alarm-train is to be put into motion by the time-train(not shown) at any given time by a well-known device, which is equallynot represented, as it does not form a part of my invention.

On the bottom 21 of the clock-casing an automatic tune-playing device issecured, which may be of any known construction. It is here assumed tobe an ordinary musicbox mechanism comprising a pin-barrel 22 and asounding-comb 23. hen the spring contained in the barrel 2 1 is wound onby means of the key 25, it can put the shaft 28 of the pin-barrel 22into motion by means of the crown-wheel 26 and the pinion 27. The speedof the pin-barrel 22 is regulated by the fly 36 with the aid of thegear-wheel 29, the pinion 30, the gear-Wheel 31, the pinion 32, theshaft 33, the worm-wheel 3 1, and the worm 35, as usual. A detent-lever37 is arranged for engaging in a hole 58 of the gear-wheel 29 under theaction of a helical spring 39, connected with its rear arm 38, while itslateral arm 10 engages the fly 36, when the musical instrument will bestopped, as usual.

On the bottom 21 is secured a suitable support 11, in which the axle 42of a bell-crank lever A3 14: is mounted to turn. The lower arm 13 isformed eccentrically and arranged for striking against the rear arm 38of the detent-lever 37 and moving it tothe right in Fig. 1, when theupright arm 1 1 is moved to the left, as is indicated by the dottedlines. The bell-crank lever 13 1 1 is, moreover, provided with a thirdarm 15, against which a leaf-spring 46 is arranged to bear, so as topress the upright arm 44: to the right.

It is evident that on moving the upright arm 44 to the left into theposition indicated by the dotted lines at Fig. 1 the eccentricalperiphery of the lower arm 43 will strike against the rear arm 38 andmove it to the right, so that the pin on the end of the detent-lever 37will get out of the hole 58in the gear-wheel 29, and at the same timethe lateral arm 40 will release the fly 36, whereby the automaticmusical instrument is allowed to play.

To the rear frame-plate 2 of the alarmclock a plate 47 is secured bymeans of one stud 4, its nut 48, and a pin 49. On this plate 47 a pin 50is secured, on which alever 51 is mounted to turn. Its lower end engagesin the end 52 of the upright arm 44, which end is formed somewhat like ascoop. The lever 51 is made in one piece with two toothed segments 53and 54 of different radiuses. On the plate 47 another pin 55 isfastened, on which a pawl 56 is mounted to turn. Under the action of aleaf-spring 57 this pawl 56 engages in the teeth of the segment 54,which serves as a ratchet-segment.

The winding-shaft 3 of the alarm-train is assumed to be turned in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 1 (c'. a, in that of the hands of awatch) for winding on the spring 5 and to make only two revolutions forentirely winding it on. In accordance with this the teeth of the twosegments 53 54 are shaped. These two segments, with the lever 51 and thebellcrank lever 44 43, occupy the positions indicated by the dottedlines before the spring 5 is wound on. The disk 9 carries a pin 10,

' which can engage either tooth of the toothed segment 53in bothdirections after each revolution of the shaft 3. The pawl 56 serves forholding the toothed segment 53 in its momentary position after the pin10 has moved it through the distance of a tooth pitch and leaves therespective tooth.

On turning the winding-shaft 3 by means of the key 13 in the directionof the arrow at Fig. 1 the pin 10 will twice engage the toothed segment53, and thereby move the lever 51 into its one extreme position. (Shownby the full lines.) Of course the bell-crank lever 43 44 will followthis movement under the action of the leaf-spring 46. After winding thespring 5 of the alarm-train, the spring of the time-train, (not shown,)and the spring of the musical instrument the whole clock will be ready.

hen at the predetermined time the timetrain releases the alarm-train,the windingshaft 3 will turn in a direction opposed to that of the arrowin Fig. 1 and put the hammer 19 into motion in the manner describedabove. IV hen the first revolution of the shaft 3 is about to becompleted, the pin 10 will strike against the lowermost tooth of thesegment 53 (see Fig. 1) and turn the lever 51 through half its angle ofdeviation. However, as the arm 43 and the detent-lever 38 37 are soarranged that the fly 36 and the gearwheel 29 are released only afterthe bellcrank lever 43 44 has completed about threefourths of its entireangle of deviation it follows that the above motion of the lever 51 willhave no further effect. Then the shaft 3 is about to complete its secondrevolution, the pin 10 will engage with the next following tooth of thesegment 53,and thereby move the lever 51 into its other extremeposition,(in cheated by the dotted lines,) when the alarmtrain will havegone off and the automatic musical instrument be started to play.

It is evident that the winding-shaft 3 need not be turned twice. It maybe turned through an angle of, say, ninety degrees, so as to cause thehammer 19 to strike only for a short time. In any case, however, themusical instrument will be started after the hammer 19 has ceasedstriking. \Nhen turning the'wi'nding-shaft 3 through an angle of ninetydegrees for windin g on the'spring 5, the pin 10 will engage under theuppermost tooth of the segment 53 and turn the latter through thedistance of a tooth-pitch, so that the lever 51 will be turned throughhalf its angle of deviation. In consequence of this the bell-crank lever44 43 will be turned into its middle position, which is suflicient inaccordance with the above explanations for leaving space to the rear arm38 of the detentlever 37, so that under the action of the helical spring39 the pin on the end of the detent-lever 37 will engage in the hole 58of the gear-wheel 29 and the arm 40 will engage the fly 36 to stop themusical instrument. Should the pin on the end of the detent-lever 37happen to be not exactly opposite to the hole 58, the gear-wheel 29 willturn a little after the spring in the barrel 24 has been wound on bymeans of the key 25 until the detent-lever 37 engages in the hole 58 andthe arm 40 stops the fly 36. It is also evident that the leaf-spring 57must be strong enough to prevent the lever 51 from moving under theaction of the spring 46.

The arrangement described so far may be varied without deviating fromthe spirit of my invention. The shaft 3 may be arranged to be turned forwinding in a direction opposed to that of the arrow in Fig. 1, when ofcourse the eccentricity of the arm 43 will require to be reversed. Theplate 47 may be shaped otherwise or it may be made in one piece with theframe-plate 2. The construction of the automatic musical instrument isquite immaterial. The only essential point is that this instrument beprovided with a movable part, by means of which it can be stopped andreleased. This movable part is here the rear arm 38 of the detent-lever37. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. In an alarm-clock, the combination with an alarm-train having aspring-winding shaft,

of a disk fastened on said spring-winding shaft and provided with a pin,a toothed segment with either tooth of which said pin on said disk canengage in both directions after each revolution of said spring-Windingshaft, means for holding said toothed segment in its m0- mentaryposition, an automatic tune-playing device having a detent for releasingit, a springpressed lever formed eccentrically on the free end forstriking against said detent and thereby starting said automatictune-playing device, and means for transmitting the movement of saidtoothed segment to said springpressed lever after said alarm-train hasgone off, substantially as set forth.

2. In an alarm-clock, the combination with an alarm-train having aspring-winding shaft, of a disk fastened on said spring-winding shaftand provided with a pin, a toothed segment with either tooth of whichsaid pin on said disk can engage in both directions after eachrevolution of said spring-winding shaft, a ratchet-segment secured tosaid toothed segment, a spring-pressed pawl engaging the teeth of saidratchet-segment for holding said toothed segment in any position, anautomatic tune-playing device having a spring-pressed detent forreleasing it, a spring-pressed lever formed eccentrically for strikingagainst said spring-pressed detent and thereby starting said automatictune-playing device, and means ment secured to said toothed segment, aspringpressed pawl engaging the teeth of said ratchet-segment forholding said toothed segment in any position, an automatic tune-playingdevice havinga spring-pressed detent for releasing it, and aspring-pressed bell-crank lever having one arm formed eccentrically forstriking against said spring-pressed detent and thereby starting saidautomatic tune-playing device, while its other arm is adapted to engagewith said arm of said toothed segment to be actuated thereby after saidalarm-train has gone off, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED STANGE.

Witnesses:

PAUL E. SoHILLrNe, PAUL ARRAs.

